Water heater and storage unit



Aug. 15, 1950 G. E. PREssER ETAT.

wATER HEATER AND STORAGE UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1946 .m .ml m

Rm.. :n

www@

MR T Georg e W72 @e SLM @QMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1. ZPs 5 er george W/zeee?" 15, 1950 G. E. PREssER ETAL WATER HEATER AND' STORAGE UNIT ha wm Aug.

Filed Nov. 14, 194e Patented Aug. 15, 1950 UNITED STATES? PATENT oFFlcE"gfV WATER HEATER AND STORAGE UNIT Glenn E. Presser and George Wheeler, Miami, Fla.

Application November 14, 1946, Serial No. 709,820

1 Claim.

This invention relates to solar heaters.

An object of this invention is to provide a solar water heater and storage reservoir which includes single units or a series of coupled units which are imbedded in heat insulation with one side thereof exposed to the sun rays through glass.

Another object of this invention is to provide a solar water heater and storage reservoir constructed in one unit, including a booster heating means so that the water may be heated to the desired degree above the temperature of the water obtained from the sun rays.

Another object of this invention is to provide a solar heater which may be used with a pressure water system and when they are installed in more than single units include check valves for establishing the flow of water from each solar heater and storage reservoir unit to a drain valve.

A further object of this invention is to lprovide a heater of this kind wherein the heating and storage units may be cast out of metal, or formed of welded parts.

With the above and other objects in View, our invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specication, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a solarrheater constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally one unit of a series of connected solar heaters which are constructed according to an embodiment .of this invention. These heaters have been shown in the drawings mounted in a single casing, but it will be understood that any desired number of these heaters may be mounted as a single water heating and storage means.

The heating unit IIJ comprises upper and lower walls l2 and I3 respectively, which are connected together at their opposite ends by end walls I4 and I5. Upstanding side walls I6 and I1 are secured to the opposite lengthwise edges ,of the walls I2 and I3 and the side and end walls constitute a means for providing a closed housing through which water is adapted to pass.

2 The heating unit I0 is withstand inside pressure by means of a plurality of bracing plates I8 which are fixed between and, secured to upper and lower walls I 2 andlIB respec`- tively, and are secured to and between the side* walls IB and I1.' The bracing members I8 are'y formed with elongated holes I9 therethrough', whereby the water may freely pass through theses bracing members' from theinle't to the outlet *offl the heater and storage unit.v I

An intake pipe 20 is secured'to the end wa11'Iv5 and the pipe 20h is connected to a common drain.' pipe 2i extending lengthwise of -the multiple assembly. A check valve 22 is interposed in the pipe 201) so as to provide for movement of the watervin only one direction, that is, toward the drain cock. The endmost heating member-Il)` has connected thereto an intake pipe 20a whichis also connected to the drain pipe 2l by pipe *20h and a pressure'relief valve 23'is interposed in' theintake pipe 2U, Y f

The heating element and storage unit Ill is adapted to be imbedded in a heat insulating medium 24 whichengages the bottom, theoppo' site sides and-the opposite ends of the unit, leaveV ing the top wall thereof free for exposure to the" run rays through glass. The top wall I2, on'the upper surface thereof, is coated black, as indicated at 25, so thattherun rays will be absorbed by the top wall I2.

The heating and storage unit I0 in single'unit installationsv also has connected thereto 'an outlet pipe 25 which extends through the insulating means 24 and the outlet pipe 26 is connected to a hot water pipe distributing system. A pressure relief valve 28 is interposed in pipe 26 so as to provide for safety from over heating.

The heating and storage member I0, when installed in more than single units, has a cold water supply pipe 2U connected to lower end of wall I5, through which cold water enters the iirst unit I0. In top end of wall Id.. an outlet pipe is provided. Through this pipe 21 hot water passes to the next unit inlet in the lower end of wall I5, which is repeated with each succeeding unit in the installation. From the last unit I0 hot water leaves heater and storage units through pine 26. The water moves from the heater and storage units as same is used at the hot water faucets or hot water appliances.

The heat insulation 24 has disposed thereabout an outer casino,r or jacket 2B which includes a bottom wall 29. end walls 3B. and opposite side walls 3|. An inwardly extending flange 32 extends from the side walls 3I and a similar in-v adapted tobe braced- 'to4 wardly extending flange 33 extends from the end walls 30. A pair of transparent panels 34 and 35 are disposed above the top Wall I2, being supported in spaced relation with respect to each other by spacer members 3S, and supported in 5 spaced relation to the top wall I2 by spacer members 31. The top flanges 32 and 33 engage over the uppermost transparent panels 34 so as to hold these panels in proper position.

The ilangesy'32 and v:I3 may, ifdesired; be made 10 removable,in a conventional manner, so that the panels 34 and 35 may be replaced when broken or when rst mounted in the unit. Base ilanges 4I carried by the jacket are formedv with openings 38 so that securing bolts' may be'passed L5 unitgamwnien projects through theside, .wa11ls;.5

is adaptedtobeconnected to ,afsuitable souretfelectric current supply. Theelectr-ical booster,heating,elementa may also beused for heating.: the water.- in each, heating. and: storage n unit at a time when the,su nrays do notstrilfreA thedevice.; At other, times, the `boosterheater Opmayfibeused for. raising/.the temperaturebf the, water above, the point. tov which .the water, is heated kry-fthe Y sun rays.

In the.,use.and operation of -this heater, the, 'FS-5T pipe Zigisfconnected lto asourcelof Watensupply. and the pipe; 251` is connected tdrthe hot Water connections in thehouse.V1 Theunit isplaced in A. ayposition where... it willireceive, the.. s unV rays,

thesexays passing through. the ,transparent pani-Qf els and striking the black surface 25 :of-the heatlng` elemente The water-as it becomes heated circulates through the openings I9 :ofV the braclngmembers,lfandremains stored Vin the unit- 45 untildrawn throughV the Youtlet connections 26. Inlthe event it is desired tn raise the .temperatureof-thewater-above `that obtained from thesun rays, the electric` booster members. 4D` are. energizedf: These booster memberslf are of con- 50 Number.A

ventional construction.

v'Wedo/not meanto. confine .ourselves tothe exact details o f-construction herein disclosed,A butv 4 claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A solar heater and storage unit comprising a plurality of aligned heater and storage members, each formed of top and bottom walls, opposite side and end walls, heat insulating means about the bottom, sides and ends of said members, a pair of spaced glass panels disposed over the tops of said-members, spaced verticallyisposed bracing-*plates-'extending between said top and bottom and said side walls, each plate being formed with horizontally elongated openings between the upper and lower edges thereof, inclined water circulating pipes` connected between adjacent onesofsaid members, the inlet end of said circulating pipes being connected adjacent the top of an associated 4member and the outlet thereof being connected adjacent the bottom of the next n member, a drain pipe connected to each of said water circulating ,eieeslutwaidly Opening Check valves vinterposed in said Vdrain pipes, a! water 0.1.1119?. .pipe-09111289@ 't0 0112@ 0f Said, members,

and a wateruiriletlpipe connected/to another of said members..

`" Gnnrm n PRnssnn. GEQRQQWHEELER.

mi2-,Patent UNITED S'lAlllSir.` PATENTS Number. Name Date 829,122- Da vis July 18, 1899 659,450'h McHenry Oct. 9, 1900 682,858 Wishart A sept. 17, 1901 695,186 Baker u Mar. 11,y 1902 807,642 Sides et al.4 Dec. 19, 1905 1,130,871- Wiusie Mar. 9,y 1915 1,182,505` Nicho1s Nov. 30, 1915- 1,250,2601 Wilcox Dec. 18,1917 1,889,238 clark Nov. 29,1932 1,971,242 Wheeler- Aug. 21, '1934 2,122,821 iyiohr July 5, 1938 2,154,216v Savage 1 Q 'Apr. 11, 1939'` 2,274,492- n /ldine 4' Feb. 24, 1 942 FOREIGN PA'rENTsv` Country Date 724,819 France, Jan. 30, 1932 828,212 France Feb. 7, 1938 835,819 Y France Sept. 19, 1938 

